Alarm for incubators.



L. H. LITSCHER.

v ALARM FOR INUUBATORS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2a, 1969.

988,198. 8 Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LEONARD H. LITSGHER, OF DAYTON, OREGON.

ALARM FOR INCUBATQRS.

Application filed July 28, 1909. Serial No. 510,008.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.

ing is a specification.

This invention relates to an alarm adapted for use more especially in connection with incubators, in combination with the thermostatically actuated damper therefor, whereby the alarm will be actuated when the temperature in the incubator rises or falls to an abnormal point to show that the heating system of the incubator requires attention in order. that the attendant can restore normal conditions.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide an electrically-actuated alarm which is in the nature of an attachment capable of and the other set will close when the temperature falls to a certain point.

lVith these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the incubator showing the alarm attachment applied in cooperative relation with the thermostatically-actuated damper device. Fig, 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the circuit closer. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the circuit closer taken between the'base plate and cover thereof. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the circuit closer, the sect-ion being taken on line 4- 1, Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates an incubator of any approved type, such for in--- stance, as that known in the trade as Old Trusty, which is equipped with a heating lamp 1, a hot air box 2, and a thermostaticallyj actuated damper device for controlling the temperature, the said device including a movable arm 3 extending out of one end of the incubator and movable bythe usual thermostat arranged within the icon-i.

bator body, the arm-being connected by a a link 4 with a swinging damper-carrying lever 5.

The attachment'comprises a circuit closer B mounted on the incubator body, in cooperative relation with the movable thermostat arm 3, and this circuit closer is connected by binding posts 6 and 7 with the wires 8 and 9, respectively, of a circuit which includes a bell 10 or equivalent signal device and a source, of current such as a cell or battery. of cells 11, the object of the attachment being to cause the bell to sound when the temperature in the incubator becomes excessively high or low.

The circuit closer comprises a support' base 12 of wood or other insulating materia 1 formed into a base plate a and a cover plate 1) between which latter and the base plate are arranged the contacts l and 13, and 14 and 14*, which project outwardly fromv one end of the insulating base. tacts 13 and 13 are disposed between and normally spaced from the contacts 1 k and .14 and are flexible so that they .can be moved into and out of engagement with the contacts i l and 14", which are relatively fixed.

Thev con The circuit closer is mounted on the incubator in such position that the con-o tacts l3 and 13 will extend over and under. I

the arm 3 of the thermostatically. actuated damper device, so that as the latter moves upwardly or downwardly, either set ofcon tacts 13 and 14, or 13 and 14 will be engaged for closing the circuit. The inner contacts 13 and 13 are constructed ofr'fa a central coiled portion 15 for constituting single piece-0t wire of U-shaped form with U an eye, and the contacts it and 1d? are of of the bell. I

'formed that some abnormal condition exa screw 16 which passes through the two parts of the insulating base and through the eyes 15. On the outer ends of the screws are washers 17 and clamping nuts 18 whereby the wires 8 and 9 of the alarm circuit can be connected with the binding posts. The inner ends of the screws are formed with heads 19 that are countersunlt in the base plate a and the inner surface of the cover plate is formed with sockets or recesses 20 for receiving washers 21 which clamp the eyes 15 of the wire contacts against the base plate and also electrically connect the said wires with the screws of the binding posts. hese binding posts serve to clamp the two sections of the base late together, as do also the screws 22 which fasten the circuit closer to the incubator The inner surface of the cover plate is provided with channels 23 for accommodating the inner doubled portions of the U-shaped wire contacts, so that the two sections a and b of the insulating support can fit closely against each other. To aiford good electrical connection between the relatively yielding and fixed contacts, the outer ends of the wires are flattened, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to provide a larger contact surface and also to render said extremities more flexible.

During normal operation, the thermo statically actuated damper device will main- "ing contact 14 or 14 so as to close the alarm circuit and energize the bell.

In the first case, the current will flow from the battery through the wire 9, post 7 contact members 13 and 14, which are held in engagement with eachother by the arm 3, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, binding post 6, wire 8 and bell 10. In the second case, the current would flow through the contacts 13 and let to cause the sounding The attendant will thus be in- I derstood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a temperature alarm for incubators, an alarm circuit, a circuit closer therefor comprising an insulating base, a pair of concentrically-arranged normally-separated U-shaped conductors separately secured to the insulating base, a single binding post on the base at the bend of each U-shaped conductor to connect the same with the alarm circuit, and a movable element responding to temperature changes and'in the path of which element the extremities of the U-- shaped conductors are located, whereby under predetermined conditions the said movable element will cause engagement of the extremities of one U-shaped conductor with the corresponding extremities of the other conductor to thereby close the alarm circuit.

2. In a temperature alarm attachment for incubators, an alarm circuit, a circuit closer therefor comprising an insulating base, a U- shaped wire device mounted on the base to form a pair of contacts, a second U-shaped wire device smaller than the first mentioned device and arranged within the latter to form a pair of contacts, said second U-' shaped wire device being rigidly secured to the base and having free extremities, and binding .posts connected with the said U- shaped devices and fastened on the insulating base, said attachment being adapted to respond to a movable element lodged between the extremities of the inner U-shaped wire device.

3. A temperature alarm attachment for incubators comprising an alarm circuit, and

a circuit closer therefor consisting of an insulating base composed of a pair of separable sections, separate bent wires clamped between said sections in a common plane and having their extremities projecting outwardly therefrom to form resilient inner contacts spaced one from the other and outer contacts spacedfrom the inner contacts, and

means for clamping the sections together the base plate and constituting means for the inclusion of the circuit closer in an alarm circuit. I

In a temperature alarm attachment for incubators, a circuit closer adapted to be included in an alarm circuit, said circuit closer comprisin an insulating base com of separate ates, a pair of wires bent into U shape an one larger than the other, said wires being arranged with their bent rtions disposed between the plates and in ing their extremities extending freely beyond the plates in approximately parallelism one to the other and spaced a art, said wires ha-vin eyes formed at their nt portions, and fiindin posts including screws passin through t e plates and through the eyes 0 the wires for holding the latter in place, one of the lates makin up the base aving channels or receiving he wires.

6. A circuit closer comprising an insulating supporting base, a pair of U-shaped wires secured thereto and one larger than the other, said wires being arranged with their outer extremities spaced apart in parallel relation, separate bmdin posts on the base, one for each wire and or connectm the same with a circuit, the extremities 0 one of the wires being resilient to move into and out of engagement with the extremities of the other wire, in combination with means for engaging one or the other of the resilient extremities for moving the same into contact with the corresponding extremities of the other wire.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing. as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. LEONARD H. LITSCHER.

Witnesses:

AUG. C. DETBURIN'G, E. E. 'McDoNALn. 

